The
village is found at the site of a small, ancient Thessalian town, by the name
of Polichna.

This
town constituted one of the fortresses that protected the ancient city of Metropolis, safeguarding
the passage through which the ancient tribes of Dolops and Athamanes invaded
and looted the plain of Thessaly.

During
the Roman Times, the village was allegedly overrun by the hosts of Pompey
before the latter engaged against the armies of Caesar at the Battle at Pharsala in 48
B.C. it is conjectured by the evidence of some ruined graves found in the
vicinity of the village that a skirmish between the armies was enacted there
before the decisive battle leaving a number of casualties behind. That is why
this place is up till now called Mnemata,
which means “graves”.

During
the Latin Conquest after 1204, Polichna was destroyed, possibly by landslides,
and the residents moved a little lower, where they built a new village, which
has survived to this day.

The
name of the village allegedly originates in a worthy landowner of the village,
whom the Franks called Misser Nicola
(in modern French monsieur Nicola). He was said to have planted himself
the vineyards himself in the area and specifically the grape of the black
variety, which is exclusively produced at Messenikolas. It should be noted that
Thessaly had been a Frankish fief for 110
years.

According
to another version based on William Miller’s book Latin Conquest in Greece the name derives from the bailli (vassal) of Achaia, Nicola Saint
Omer III. This vassal led a host of 40,000 soldiers who arrived at this area in
1304 to recapture the castle of Fanarion from Queen Anna of Epirus, who had high-handedly
seized it before. The queen negotiated and turned over the castle to Saint
Omer, whereupon the latter disbanded his army and the soldiers dispersed all
over Thessaly. A group of them might have
ascended the Agrafa mountain range, where they were given land titles. Some
might have settled in the area of ancient Polichna, which eventually obtained
the name Messenikolas from the leader’s Christian name. There is also a
location near our village bearing until this day the name Kyr Nick, i.e.Sir Nick (or Misser Nick).